The Melancholy of Harley Quinn
by Harley Eve
Summary: **Arkham City spoilers Alert** After the events of Arkham City, Harley Quinn is left dealing with the consequences. With Poison Ivy at her side, she'll try to take Arkham City back from Penguin and Two-Face in the name of her "Puddin" and his final gift to her.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So this is my third Fanfiction, taking place after the events of Arkham City (the final Joker battle actually). For those of you who don't plan on playing the game, **spoiler alert** the Joker dies under sketchy circumstances after being sick over the past few months and was carried out of the theater where the final battle took place by the Dark Knight. Throughout the game, there have been gang battles between the Joker's crew, Two-Face's crew, and Penguin's crewm, but I'll get into detail as the story goes.

Honestly though, I only have a vague idea where this story is going to go, but I'm sure it'll be great.

Welcome back to the rabbit hole everyone. I hope you'll all enjoy the ride.

* * *

><p><strong>I Miss You<strong>

Harley Quinn raced through Arkham City, her heart pounding with excitement, a smile across her glowing face. "C'mon boys!" she yelled angrily, upset they weren't keeping up with her, but then giggled. Pretty soon she wouldn't need to be the boss of them. Soon she would gladly give her power over to _her_ master. She flipped in the air to enjoy the weight off of her shoulders.

First, she'd jump into his arms and then she'd kiss him anywhere, everywhere! **SCREW THE CONSEQUENCE**! It would be worth it… it would _all_ be worth it in the end… just to have his true smiling face back.

And then she'd ask him about _Bats_ and what he finally did to him! Then she'd ask to _play_ with with him. Once they were done they'd take over this God forsaken city, then let everyone loose in Gotham. She could hear the men up ahead cheering his name. She closed her eyes girlishly for a second, imagined they were cheering him on for burning their old world to the ground. Oh the fun! Oh the excitement! Oh the-

She heard the men stop and her heart leapt up to the heavens when she saw the door open, only to be pulled down into the depths of the earth when she saw not a tall, lean, colorful man; but a bulky, black menace carrying her heart's limp form in his arms.

She covered her mouth in shock… her Puddin' wouldn't be… he couldn't be… no. But when she saw his face… his smiling face frozen in time, she realized he was. The great, grand, sublime, beautiful Clown Prince of Crime… was dead.

She covered her face and bent over in pain and shock. The pain was paralyzing… it shocked her mind and heart. She couldn't move, she couldn't think… hell. She didn't even _want_ to breathe. After what seemed like an eternity, she looked up at the Dark Knight carrying away the Joker's body, taking him farther and farther away. As he carried him away, it was like her strength was being drained… her energy forcing itself into his body to shock him awake. She had never faltered when he needed something… this time was no different. But when she was on her knees with nothing else to give, she found he was still in the same state he was before. There was nothing she could do. She was useless to him now.

"No… no…" she sobbed out, feeling cold tears dripping down her face. How could this be? How could this have happened? Was it her fault? Was it something_ she_ did?

…Maybe. Maybe if she had run faster, or hadn't flipped in the air… or if she had screamed louder… maybe she could have done something. Maybe she… maybe she didn't get him the cure fast enough… maybe…

"Harley?" a hand touched her bare shoulder. A cold, calloused, damp hand. It was bulky, crude, and muscled. Not lean and artistically made. Her head suddenly snapped up and glared him with rabid, furious eyes already red from crying.

How dare he… **HOW DARE HE TOUCH HER! SHE WAS **_**HIS**_** AND ****HIS**** ALONE! **Never… **NO ONE ELSE WOULD **_**EVER**_** HAVE HER! **She'd kill them… **SHE'D KILL THEM ALL FIRST! EVERY FUCKING LAST ONE OF THEM! THEY'D ALL DIE BEFORE THEY **_**EVER**_** TOUCHED HER!**

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" she screeched instantly. The man jumped away, but it was too late for him. It was far too late. He was already on the floor and Harley was up in the air ready to stomp his face in. The henchman, still in shock, watched as her dainty feet got bigger and bigger until he realized she was going for his throat.

Harley landed hard and immediately pushed off of his throat to jump away. She watched as he struggled uselessly to breathe… simply watched as he slowly died. But she felt no guilt. It was a fair punishment. _He_ would have thought so too… touching his things… and she would always be his thing. Always and _forever_ **his**.

Anyways, she was going through the same thing… her body becoming cold. An empty feeling forming in her chest, the inability to breathe, and the inability to do anything about it. She too, was slowly dying. Becoming a simple shell… filled with sadness, pain, and fury.

"C'mon boys, let's get back," she mumbled coldly. But she knew they wouldn't follow. Their leader was dead. Their only means of survival gone. As she walked down the dark streets of Arkham City, some of the scurried away to take up a job with Two-Face or Penguin. Some of them waited longer than others. The first few tried sneaking away, while the last few blatantly walked away after realizing she would do nothing.

Fuck them. She didn't need them. She didn't want them.

Once at the Steel Mill, Harley made a quick beeline to her room. It wasn't consciously though. She didn't feel she was in danger, nor did she take note of the men's whispers of death. Fortunately for them, none of them said his name. None of them sent a dagger to her heart that was punishable by a slow, painful death.

No, her room was simply where she had been with him last. She still couldn't believe he was gone… maybe it was all just a trap. Maybe he was in their room, rolling around in his wheelchair like a child, enjoying life. She expected her name when she opened the door.

He would smile deviously at her. "_Hello Harley…" _he would say as he stood up, a velvety smoothness in his voice to hide the raging thoughts she knew were rushing through his head at any given moment. She'd melt into his arms in relief. Maybe she'd even cry… no. She'd definitely cry. She'd busy herself by gripping onto every piece of clothing he had –noting how the different fabrics reflected the different facets of his personality– and burning the scent and the textures into her memory. She'd burn how it all felt against her hands, cheeks, nose, legs, lips, neck, nose, and stomach –if he let her go that far –into her memory forever… as if it weren't already there.

Eventually he would calm her desperate fits by holding her crying face and gently pulling her head up to look up at him. He gently shushed her while she drank up every single perfect feature on his face. The signs of a previous illness were gone… he was perfectly fine. He was _perfect_. She began to cry again in relief and held him tightly.

He'd simply chuckle in amusement, petting her head gently to soothe her. She'd slowly calm down and pick her head up to ask _why_ and _how_, but he put a finger to her lips and silently shushed her again with a gently expression, making her heart race. He must have felt it because he smiled, took her hand, bowed low and kissed her hand gently. She giggled and blushed at his show of his gentlemanly nature as he stood up again with a smile, his free arm behind his back. He stepped close to her, emphasizing his height over her, and silently placed a hand on her waist as she automatically placed her hand on his shoulder.

And with that they began to waltz around the room. There was no music, no real rhythm, but she was an expert at following her Puddin's lead. While her mind danced in the Joker's eyes, her body moved with his will. Just from this, she was losing her body and mind to him again. But she didn't mind. She never minds. She was already his; in heart, mind, body and soul. And she would never have it any other way.

"Mistah J, I was so worried," she whispered, finally breaking their comfortable silence.

His dazzling emerald eyes began to sparkle with mischief… and Harley reveled in it, even as he pulled away to kiss her forehead. "Don't worry toots… we'll stay like this forever." He gently cupped her cheek and she gazed up at him, admiring how softly he seemed to be looking at her. How, for a moment, he seemed to be gazing at her lovingly. And if not lovingly, admiringly. All she could think about while her mind swam in his dark green eyes was how much better his gaze was than heaven's lights ever could be.

Finally, she blinked and the whole scene changed. Rather than a beautiful man, there was a cold floor and her fingers digging into a rug.

What? She shot up and looked around. Had she fallen asleep? Or did he run off without telling her again? She stood up and started for the door when she remembered… she would never, ever catch him.

But he had just been there… _he was __**right there**__ holding her_. Just a moment ago she was in a dream… in a dream with _him_.

But that's exactly what it would ever be, a dream.

The thought was a shock to her. Harley had never thought about a lifetime without the Joker, but now she may have to live it.

The thought was enough to send her down onto her knees in despair, her hand covering her face as she cried. She cried until she began to shiver. It was softly at first, but as the thought of the Joker's death ran back and forth across her mind she began to visibly tremble, her hands clenching into fists against her eyes.

"NOOOO!" she screamed in agony. "NO!" she yelled as she threw a desk on the floor. "HE'S MINE!" she screamed as she kicked the desk away. "Give… him… BACK!" she screamed as she tore a piece of wood from the wall. "GIVE HIM BACK!" she screamed as she threw the piece of wood at the support beam. The fact that the wood crumbled against the beam yet did nothing to damage the beam infuriated her to no end. She jump for the beam and kicked it once as hard as she could, "No!" Her kick did nothing so she started punching it instead. "He's mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!" Her attacks left little more than dents in the wood. She grabbed the beam and began to smash her head into it with all the strength she could still gather. "You can't have him! You can't! You can't! You can't! You can't… you can't… you can't… he was _mine…_"

Finally, her energy was spent and she slid to floor, crying and weak. Weak without him.

She couldn't be without him. She was useless without him. She might as well just lie on the floor and die without him.

Death. What a tempting prospect. Joining him in hell. Leaving Gotham and Arkham City, where surely every single corner and street would tear at her heart, ripping pieces away until nothing was left of her.

Not that there was anything left of her now. The Joker was dead and she was alone. He was alone. They were separated. What was the point then? There was nothing… no joy, no insane laughter, no screams, no kisses, no rising death count, no one yelling her name, no fiery brawls with Bman, no one telling jokes, no widened bloody smiles, and no love. No color.

She rolled over on her back and surrendered. She surrendered herself to the dark, endless hole of the world that was dying to consume her. She wasn't even aware of the blood and tears running down her face or the screaming sobs escaping her mouth. She just felt the darkness swallowing up her chest…

But a small white box across the room caught her attention.

"That's right Puddin'… I almost forgot," she whispered.

Her sobs quieted and she placed her hand on her stomach. She had almost forgotten that he had left her the sweetest of gifts, a small string to lead her out. One last wish. One last command. And she was _**not**_ about to fuck it up. She'd make her Puddin' proud, by making everyone else _**scream**_**.**

Just then, the doorknob began to turn.

Looks like mourning time's over.

They all walked in all at once, carrying all sorts of weapons as Harley pulled herself off the floor like a puppet barely able to follow its strings. "Hello boys," she said in her trademark voice, but a new coldness to it. "What can I do for yuh?"

Even with her back turned to them, she heard one step forward. Heavy and big, with chains. How cute. "We're takin' over Harley. The Joker's gone and we ain't takin' orders from you no more."

Harley turned her head and laid it back, her face blank. "Oh really…?" The boys were big. Some she recognized, most she didn't. They didn't matter though. There were merely obstacles. But she didn't have the patience to deal with _obstacles_.

Another stepped forward, a bit bigger than the leader. "Yeah really _bitch_. So you either get the fuck out of here or we rape n' kill yo ass right here." Stupid. No wonder he was only second in command.

In that moment Harley hopped up into the air, cockscrewing, then landed right in front of the idiot, facing forward in a crouch so when he would swing at her he would miss. And in that moment of shock, she took her chance and upper cut him hard enough that it sent him flying. When he landed he managed to knock over half of his crew.

Harley turned and looked the leader right in the eye, enjoying the mix of fear and shock in his eyes. There was a reason she was able to push them around before. And he had obviously forgotten that. Well, he would be getting a very swift reminder. She had a long fight ahead of her… this would be a good warm-up.

"You might want to rethink you plans a little."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Ok, I know that this took me FOREVER to write, but I've been busy... and grounded. This is going to continue right after Harley was challenged by her men, and then jump to Ivy, then to a very weird conversation. I hope you all like it.

Song used: "Move" by Thousand Foot Krutch  
>Look, listen to my voice If you're making the choice tell all the girls and the boys Either scream or rejoice let's make that noise Either move or we will all be destroyed<br>Move and show me what you can do When you step into the circle and shake like we do And move when you just can't take it And move if you just feel like breaking it  
>Can you hear me? Stop, look, listen to my voice It was never my choice to feel all alone This is my home Back up, you don't know if you've never been here You've never been to the place inside, I face my fears It takes everything I am So move, move until the storm is over 'Cause underneath, there's a diamond passing over So breathe, let's leave until the storm is over Because I want to take you away<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Move<strong>

Harley bent over and picked up the prick's crowbar and casually hit it against the palm of her hand. "So, anyone else?" she asked casually over his screaming. She glanced at him coldly and noticed a trickle of blood come out of his mouth. Apparently she had shattered a few teeth and the fragments were cutting into his gums. Not nearly as much damaged as she hoped, but it would have to do.

Fortunately, no one stepped forward. Harley smirked and swung the crowbar onto her shoulders and began to strut out of the room. "Good." Suddenly, she stopped "Now," and pointed the end of the crowbar at the ringleader "as for _you_," she paused, thinking. She could knock his fucking head off right now and set an example, but he had rallied all these men so easily and had the sense to be scared shitless of her. She may need him. "What's yuh name?"

"D-Dax ma'am."

"Dax huh?" She swung the crowbar back on her shoulder and pushed out her hip. "I like you." And with that she continued to strut past her men. "Hold down the fort while I'm gone ok Dex? I'll be back in a jip," She called back, almost carelessly. No one could ever imagine how tense she was at that moment.

__

"Give me _one_ good reason why I shouldn't feed you to my babies," I hissed angrily.

"I-I'm sorry! But I was starving! You have so much fruit here and my friends and I are-"

"I don't care if you're hungry," I snapped, appalled this human would even bother to use the sympathy card with me. As if he was better than my babies. I looked him over in disgust. "All you homo-sapiens are the same. Thinking you're more important than Mother Nature's other children… what gives _you_ the right? See this?" I held up the fruit he had stolen and almost eaten to the core. "_These_ were the plants' children… my _children's_ children! And I am a _very_ formidable grandmother…"

"Please! I- I can give you information! I know what's going on outside!"

"Oh? And would could possibly be so interesting that I'd let you go?"

"Strange is dead! Gone!" he shouted desperately.

I scoffed. "That's no shock. I'm surprised he lasted this long," I said as I checked my nails nonchalantly, and then began to walk away. "Take him downstairs," I ordered to my servants behind me.

"Wait! Wait! The Joker's dead! Rumor has it Batman killed him in the theatre! Please… please let me go!"

I stopped immediately. "Oh… well. That is interesting." Finally. Batman finally put down that beast… he was finally out of the game. Serves him right… after all of the things he's done to me, to my babies, to my plans… and to Harley.

Harley was probably heartbroken right now without her beloved clown prince. She's probably in an unimaginable amount of pain… but in a foreseeable amount of danger.

Joker had been keeping her away from me since I arrived in Arkham City, but now he was gone. The only thing keeping Harley away from me was gone now, and naturally we were going to be pulled together like magnets.

"I-Interesting enough to let a husband and father of two go?" he asked hopefully, tears and snot dripping down his face.

I turned on my heels to face him. "No. In fact, I'd much prefer you as feed than for you to breed." With that, my plants grabbed him by his ankles and dragged him away, not waiting for my servants to take him.

"No, nooo!" he screamed as he was pulled into the floor below us to be eaten, his nails digging into the floor. I smirked as he screams of fear turned into screams of pain, and then into anguished gurgles as he became what he was truly meant to be: meat.

I sighed as I sat down on a chair of vines that formed beneath me, and waited.

I didn't wait for her very long. Only fifteen minutes passed before my babies told me she had arrived.

__

It had never been hard for Harley to find Ivy's place. She knew Ivy, and what to look for when looking for her "hide-out". While the building had almost none of the charm Ivy preferred, the vines and leaves poking out of windows and walls was proof enough that Ivy felt right at home.

Harley eyed the vines slithering around her coolly. She half expected them to grow a bed of leaves just for her to carry her in, but it was too cold in Arkham City for that. At least Ivy would know she was coming to see her –surprising Ivy rarely went well. It had been months since their last meeting, so Harley suddenly felt a bit guilty that she couldn't feel happy or excited.

When Harley got to the front door, it opened for her. Ivy's plants had always acted like butlers around her.

"Pammy?" Harley called in, unfazed by Ivy's choice in décor. Plants and flowers of all sorts covered the walls, make the rooms look alive as the vines slithered and swayed. As Harley stepped into the room, she felt the temperature jump dramatically from the tundra outside to the tropics inside. Nothing was too good for her babies…

"Come on up." A vine dropped down from above and curled itself into a platform. Harley gingerly stepped onto it and held on to the vine as she began to rise. As Harley got closer to Ivy, she realized she didn't know what to do or say. She needed help but…

I sat there patiently, waiting for her. For my friend. For Harley. I wasn't sure what to expect. Would she be broken? Would she be murderous? Would she be beaten? Would she run to me like a child and cry into my chest?

Yes, yes. She'd probably be blubbering like a baby, snot running into her mouth while tears ruined her face. I saw the tops of two blond pigtails, and braced myself for the sudden flood of sympathy and love that would pass through me once I saw her. My friend.

But she wasn't crying though. She obviously had been, but she wasn't now. Her eyes were an angry red and puffy. Blood and mascara ran down her face, ruining her pale complexion. But she didn't look fearful. She didn't look lost.

She looked determined, like she paid no mind to the troubles surrounding her.

Or put up a mask to make it seem that way. Even for me.

I didn't like it.

"Harley."

"Ivy."

"You're a mess."

Silence. Stone cold silence.

"The Joker's dead," I stated plainly.

That's all it took. Her soldier-like demeanor melted away instantly and she became a crying child. She ran towards me, arms out, and hugged me close, burying herself in my chest, crying.

"He's really gone Red… He's really gone this time," she sobbed. "I-I even saw Batman carry his body away… I'll never see him again Red… I'll never see him again…"

I paused, not entirely sure of what to do, or what to say. I simply placed my hands on her head and stroked her hair. I can't deny the pang of satisfaction I felt when she pressed her face into my chest.

"Shh… shh… there there. It'll all be fine," I soothed.

"No! No it won't!" she cried out, pulling her face away from me. "I'm alone Red! He left without me… I don't know what to do… I don't know what to do…" She continued to pull away from me, slowly curling herself into a ball, her hands on her head as if she were trying to keep it together… or perhaps trying to keep the world out of it.

I knelt beside her. "We can just walk away from this, you and I," I whispered, hopeful. "Like old times remember? With Strange gone, they're going to close Arkham City and we can just break out of Blackgate or wherever they're planning on sending us."

She pushed her hands onto the ground but kept her head down, and I instantly saw her resolve form again. Something's changed. Something was different. She should have just paused and untangled herself, glad for a sense of familiarity.

But clearly, going back wasn't an option. Her body language screamed an absolute no… but I couldn't think of a reason why. We had gone through this a thousand times before. The Joker would leave her, or she would run away from him, and we would team up until she went running back to him. Nothing should have changed.

"We can't go back Red… we can't just walk away this time. It's not just me anymore…"

I looked at her, puzzled. And that's when I smelled it. I'd stopped checking for it years ago, when I figured it was impossible. They'd never go through with it, I had told myself. He's too uncaring, and she's not that willing. She wouldn't put herself through that… not even for _him_.

But there it was… that pheromone I had dreaded from day one.

I bowed my head, making my blood red waves cover the hatred that passed over my face. So, he had managed to keep one last dagger to her heart, even after death. Even after he was gone and she could finally be all mine. "You're pregnant…"

My first thought was to kill it. I had thousands of chemicals at my disposal. I could make Harley inhale any one of them and it would look natural, like an accident. A simple occurrence that could happen during any pregnancy… that _should_ happen during _this _pregnancy.

"Yes…" she admitted, almost guiltily. Almost.

"We need to run. We need to get out now," I stated coldly. "The second someone finds out, you're done for Harley. Two-Face and Penguin will do everything they can to take advantage of you. And you won't be strong enough to fight them both off anymore. You-"

She picked her head up immediately. "That's why I need _you_ Red. I might not be strong enough in a few months, but I'll have _you_ helping me. With you I'll have this whole god forsaken place in the palm of my hand before we're done."

I tensed my jaw. She wasn't budging. "Harley…" I said desperately, trying to think of something, _anything_ to make her see that we needed to get out **now**.

"Ivy, if I don't have you on my side, _by_ my side, they'll chew me up and spit me out no problem. And if we run, how long do you think it'll take them to find us? And then they'll have everything they need. I need to get rid of them here and now. I need to take over this place and make it safe. In _here_ I can defend him. In _here_ I can crush them. Out _there,_" she pointed past my head, "I'm dead. _He's_ dead… and I can't… I can't…"

I glowered at her. This was the strongest I had ever seen her. I've seen her determined before, but this bested any previous resolve. And it wasn't after I put her together. Her confidence didn't come from me. It came from the abomination growing in her belly. Forced there by the Devil himself… Fucking Joker. He had always been Harley's main weakness and her primary source of strength. And now he would stay that way for the rest of her life… no.

She was going to break away from him. This wasn't going to be _his_ abomination. This was going to be _her_ child. It would be _her_ creation. It was going to have her eyes, her hair, her smile, and her laugh. But I needed to lead her… and to lead her I needed to be by her side.

Yes, that was it. That's why I was joining her. I was joining her to help her. Not because I felt the need to be close to her. Not because I felt the need to follow her. I was joining her because she needed me.

"Fine… but we need to clean you up first. You're a mess, and we need to make you… presentable."

__

"Dude, think she'll get killed on her way back?" Isaac asked for maybe the hundredth time. Dax kept his back to him, but he could still hear him sharpening a stake behind him.

"I don't know… maybe," I answered coldly, hoping this time he would just shut up instead of trying to continue a conversation.

"You'd better hope so. She's gonna kill yo ass if she sees you. Fucking shit… did you see that bitch's face when she socked dat dude? Talk about a fucking hellcat…" He chuckled.

"Yeah… a hellcat…" Isaac was a dumbass. A dumb ghetto motherfucker who always made Dax wonder why the Joker hadn't killed him the moment he opened his mouth. Then again, Joker wasn't one for improving the world.

But as dumb as Isaac was, he got that right. Harley Quinn had looked like a hellcat when Eddy had challenged her. She had scared the hell out of him… but it was somehow enticing. She was dangerous, and she could have killed him with one swift movement, but she hadn't. She had even said that she liked him. She _liked_ him. He had even left him in charge.

He had immediately called off the attack, but was completely aware that another attack was brewing right under his feet. He wasn't exactly sure who was setting it up, and who was a part of it, but he knew he was outnumbered. No one was going to lay down their lives for Harley. She was a psycho bitch who bullied them. But the only reason she was able to do that before was because if you didn't listen to Harley, you weren't listening to the Joker. And that was scary.

But seeing her defend herself in the office before… she wasn't just a psycho bitch. She was strong and powerful. She could have them all wrapped around her finger if she wanted to. She could beat them all into submission if she needed to. They must have all sensed it, because they all followed her. As much as they all hated her, the felt her power. And now that Dax had seen it… and been threatened by it… it seemed-

"Ey Dax! What is that?" Isaac suddenly stood up and looked over the edge of the building. Dax stood up and leaned over the railings as well, looking for what Isaac was talking about. He didn't see anything.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, irritated. He didn't see any men coming in from the bridge, thank goodness, but Isaac's tone was making him anxious.

"Over there!" He pointed towards the destroyed bridge, where there was nothing.

"There's nothing there Isaac." But Dax still looked, anxious.

"It's the metal… it's moving man…"

Dax looked closer. Weird shit happened in Arkham City, but he couldn't think of anyone who could make metal move… but as he stared at the bridge… he realized something _was_ moving. It was too dark to make out what it was but it looked like…

"Vines…" Dax breathed quietly. His eyes went down the vine to find the ends, and he saw that they were slithering like snakes towards the entrance. Dax was quickly able to put together what had happened. There was only one person who could control plants like this, and Harley had her on speed dial.

Dax was caught. He could either sound the alarm and save the men at the entrance and make the men inside battle ready, or he could keep his mouth shut and show that he was on Harley's side. He tensed his jaw and ran the possibilities over in his mind. But he didn't have time to think it all through.

"They're vines man! They're fucking vines! Hey guys!" Isaac called down to the men guarding the entrance, "Get your asses inside! We've got fucking vines!" The men paused and looked at Isaac like he was retarded. "Look!" Isaac screamed in alarm and pointed behind them.

The men turned around and saw the vines curling up the entrance of the steel mill. Dax could see them all jump and they all started shooting at the enemies in a panic. Dax felt both relieved and frustrated as he watched the vines slowly retreat. He sighed and made his decision. He had to look like he was in charge. There was going to be too much panic now for anyone to remember that he had not called the first alarm, but if he didn't act now everyone would remember that he had tried to help Harley.

"Get inside and shut the doors!" he yelled out. "We've got Poison Ivy's bitches coming after us! Anyone stuck outside is fucked! Move! Move!" Isaac immediately booked it down stairs, but Dax stayed outside. He needed to see what they were up against.

Some of the men guarding the entrance had stayed behind to keep the plants at bay while men rushed in, but for now everything had gone quiet. The plants hadn't made any movement Dax could see, but he also noted the few men that had gotten past the plants. At least thirty guys were walking around, but only five had gotten through…

"Get inside!" Dax bellowed at the guards, but it was a fatal mistake. When they turned around to look at him for that brief second, all hell broke loose.

Countless fines suddenly popped up from behind the walls surrounding them. His men cried out in surprise as vines wrapped around their arms and legs, rendering them immobile. The men tried to fight, but the vines held fast as countless more sped towards the doors. The men tried to close them, but the numerous vines kept them open. Dax cursed under his breath and sprinted down the stairs and through the doors. He ran to the entrance, the sound of guns echoing through the halls as well as the screams of men begging for help.

The second room he reached was filled with men aiming their guns towards the doors which were already bolted shut.

The doors were pushed against and the whole room suddenly picked up their guns and turned off their safeties. "Help! Let me in! Let me in! We need help! They're far enough behind me that you can open the door! C'mon guys!" A few shots were fired outside the door. "Open up!" the man screamed.

Dax looked around him angrily, at the cowards that surrounding him who had retreated back here while there was an enemy to be fought outside. But he didn't want to be the one to open the door. He didn't want to be the one to let hell inside the room.

"Oh God… Oh God… they're coming… LET ME IN! PLEASE I DON'T WANNA DIE!" he screamed in desperately. More shots were fired, and then there was a primal scream of desperation from the other side of the door as the gun kept firing.

Dax could feel his heart pound from excitement and fear. Maybe this guy would save them all, or maybe he'll just die and the vines will burst through the door.

Suddenly the bullets stopped firing, a scream, a hard thud against the door, then silence.

Silence…

The sound of quick breathing… a rushing heart…

Silence…

A soft scrape…

"THE VENTS!" someone screamed. A few shots, and suddenly everyone was shooting in the same direction, hopefully annihilating whatever had caused the alarm.

"Stop!" Dax shouted sharply and raised his hand in a silencing motion. Everything was quiet again.

A single leaf floated down from the vent… quickly spinning as every man in the room watched its decent to the ground. Dax tensed as the leaf got closer to the ground…

Once it hit the ground, and everyone was looking down, the vent exploded outward and a thousand vines took its place. The plants worked like lightning, like they all had a target. Each one immediately immobilized one man or another. A vine went right past Dax's face and he fell backwards on his ass to avoid it. He looked over towards its destination and saw one man shooting wildly at another vine, screaming in fury in desperation, but suddenly his gun was in front of Dax and the vine was wrapped around his arms and legs, holding him relatively still even though he still struggled to pull the vines away from his throat.

Dax couldn't help but watch him struggle while the room filled with desperate and muffled yells. Suddenly, he noticed another vine seemed to stop in its tracks and look at him. _Look at him_. Dax scrambled backwards in a panic, completely forgetting about the gun that was at his feet. The vine lowered itself to the ground and began to slither towards him. All the while Dax was searching around the room, searching for someone to help him, but everyone was already immobilized by the vines. A few men were completely engulfed in vines, only a struggling hand or a twitching foot, like a mouse caught in a trap.

Dax whimpered softly, watching the vine approach him while he had no weapon. Suddenly it raised its head, and looked like a cobra getting ready to strike. When it did, Dax put his hands out defensively but the vine curled itself around his wrists and neck lightning fast. Then it paused, its head floating around his face.

The vine's end suddenly began to crack, and small bulbs began to erupt down its length. A bulb also erupt in Dax's face. Once it was big enough, a large pink flower began to form from the bulb. Dax didn't know what would come out of the flower, but the possibilities had his teeth chattering.

But when whatever it was came out of the flower, Dax knew it wouldn't kill him... he knew what it was for, and he didn't bother fighting it.

_Well played Harley Quinn…_

Those final two words echoed through his mind while his world was black.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I hope you all liked this second chapter. I know it was long awaited. Please review, I would love to know how I did with Poison Ivy. Although I know I need to make some tweaks. The only reason I made her so willing to be the follower this time because at the momentHarley isn't going to let anything stop her, and she knows it. I know the relationship is a bit abnormal at the moment, but in this story Harley is going to be the leader because her Master forced her into that role in His abscence, while we're all used to Poison Ivy being dominant in his relationship. I know it's weird, but bare with me here.

And I know a few of you are curious about this "Dax" character. Well, I'm sorry to tell you that this love sick puppy is going to be around for a while. You'll all have to wait and see how Harley reacts to his affection towards her.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **FINALLY a new update. I know I know I take FOREVER to update this story but it's kinda hard to write this story since I'm not COMPLETELY sure how to write Harley in this sort of misery, I've got an OC who is completely opposite of who I'm used to writing, and then I've got Ivy who is as alien to me as a miserable Harley. But I think I'm getting it little by little. Plus I was HOPING to play Harley Quinn's revenge to get some new ideas, but then my 360 died so I just watched in on youtube, then found some easter eggs that imply that the official story is going in a COMPLETELY different direction from this story (or I'm going in a completely direction from them...), so I basically said "fuck that" and just took a few material details every here and there.  
>So yes, you're going to read a few material things that are similar to Harley Quinn's revenge (for those of you who have played it or are interested) but no, I won't be following that story line.<p>

So, we're picking up after Harley's assault on the Steel Mill. Harley goes a little crazier than usual, and this time her baby doesn't give her a sense of stability.

* * *

><p><span>Breathe into Me<span>

"_Wakey, wakey _bozos_. Naptime's over. Time to get to work," _Harley's voice commanded over the intercom. Dax groaned and lifted himself up off the floor. He stretched out his arms and his back, then looked around him. There were about 60 men in the room doing the exact same thing. But that wasn't the weird thing. The weird thing was that the room was covered in flowering vines. Some as thick as sewer pipes, others as thin as a pencil. "_Good, you're all awake. Now, get to the main room. We've got a few announcements._"

Without argument or complaint, the men began to walk towards the room where Harley would usually talk to all of them, being strangely careful not to step on any of the major vines. Dax looked to the side as he walked out of the room to see a corpse lying beneath a giant vine the size of a refrigerator. The man was almost blue and still looked like he was screaming… he should have known better. Disobeying Harley like that.

With the rest of the group, he was soon piling into the main room. He saw Harley sitting up in her room, one foot was firmly on the ground, the other leg was gracefully swinging over the edge, and he stared at her. Had she always been so pretty? He was sure she was. Always… always.

Behind her was another beautiful woman. Her body was green and seemed to be covered in small vines. Her privates were only covered by a small bush, and her breasts barely covered by a small red jacket… that matched perfectly with her beautiful firey red hair… she was beautiful, but for some reason he didn't really want to touch her despite his internal drive to do anything he can to touch her.

But she was still pale in comparison to Harley… Harley… Harley… she was gorgeous. With her blonde hair in pigtails… and her red and black outfit that hugged every curve perfectly. He loved seeing her… he loved looking at her. She glanced at him with cold baby blue eyes, and he straightened up with pride.

It was only then that he realized he was being surrounded by men who were all staring at him with envy. There were more than he thought. Most of the Joker's crew was still alive… even though he had witnessed their deaths.

"So everyone's here then?" Harley said a bit impatiently.

"Oh fair angel speak again!" someone in the crowd yelled out. Harley picked up her gun and shot him between the eyes. No one flinched.

"I guess that's a yes." Harley stood up and brushed the dirt off of her pants. She twirled the gun in her hands and started pacing. "There's gonna be a change around here boys… first of all **I'm **in charge now. Any questions about _that_?" she asked. No one spoke. "Good. Second, you're all gettin' a change in wardrobe. There's gonna be only one clown I wanna see around this place and that's…" Harley seemed to choke. "that's… the Joker." She began to cry for a second, placing her hands over her heart. The green beauty stepped up behind her, but Harley held up her hand to stop her. "Everyone else, you're followin my lead. We're getting red and black colored suits, and you're all gonna be wearin harlequin makeup. Third, you've all got another girl you bozos gotta listen to. This is Poison Ivy."

Poison Ivy slowly strut into the light of room, placing one hand on her hip when she stopped. "Cross her, and you'll be crossin me… and you _don't_ wanna cross me boys… I promise you."

A chill went down Dax's spine, but the fear immediately faded away. She was to beautiful to fear… to beautiful to disobey…

"Next, Dax come up front." Dax jumped a little, and then ran to the front, getting a little static charge just from being closer to her. "I'm leavin you in charge of the men. I'm givin you orders and you give em out. Yuh hear that boys? If you're talking to Dax, the orders are comin from me. Now then, get to work cleanin' this place up. We have some corpses up front that need to be taken care of," she ordered as she walked back inside.

Dax stood there for a moment, still mesmerized by how she said his name… but then began to walk out.

HxDxHxDxHxDxHxDxHxDxHxDxHxDx Hx DxHxDxHxDxHxDxHxDxHxDxHxDxHx DxHxDxHxDxHxDxHxDxHxDxHxDxHx DxHxDxHxDxHxDxHxDxHxDxHxDxHx DxHxDxHxDxHxDxH

_Knock knock knock_ "Harley? Harley please. Let me in."

Harley spat into the toilet and flushed the mess down. She couldn't take it… she couldn't take seeing them… clowns.

Clowns had been everywhere. His green hair had been everywhere. His red smile had surrounded her… he was everywhere… but none of them were him. None of them were him… he was just gone. Forever.

"Harley please? I can help."

"No one can help," Harley whispered. Unless someone could bring him back, no one could help.

_Why the long face kiddo?_

"Mistah J?" Harley perked up, picking her head up from the toilet seat. But he wasn't there. Harley covered her ears and shook her head. No… no not again. She couldn't put up with that again. He was either there or he wasn't. She couldn't take the hallucination. She couldn't take being wrapped in his arms, and suddenly being completely alone.

Completely and utterly alone.

"Harley?"

No… not so alone. Harley picked herself up off the floor and opened the door a crack. "I- I'm Ok Red… just nerves."

Poison Ivy was the face of unease. She was obviously concerned and saddened. "I have some anti-anxiety pills-"

"I'm fine Red… I'm fine. I, I just need some time to think is all." Ivy bit her lip, but Harley simply closed the door and slumped against the wall.

_What's the _Weed_ doing in my house Harley?_

"Please Mistah J, stop," Harley pleaded, covering her face with her hands. Like her hands could stop the tears.

_You want me to stop Harley? Do you _truly_ want me to stop? But we were having so much _fun_._

"No more fun… there's no more fun… there are no more smiles…" her hand went back to her stomach, but this time the life there didn't fill the hole _he_ was digging in her chest.

She had always been his… she had _always_ been his… she had _always_ been **his**. She was never a mother… she had _always_ been **his**.

She looked up at her reflection. She was so white… so blond… so red… so black…

_Oh Harley... come out and play-ee-yay..._

Black. That's where he was.

Harley smiled. She knew the Joker better than this… he would never let her go. Never. He would always be that dark part of her mind… the blackest part of her mind that she had always feared to touch. But that's where he was… he was in the blackest part of her mind. But she needed to find him. She needed to find him in the darkness… she needed to _submerge _herself in it…

But she was so _blond_… so _white_… so _happy_… so _cute_… so _playful_…

Harley tore out her pig tails and shook out her hair with her hands. She looked up at the mirror and looked at the mess. She smiled, for the first time in what felt like years. Yes… chaos, darkness. That's where she would find him.

_In chaos and darkness_.

She threw open the medicine cabinet, cracking the mirror, reached in to the medicine cabinet, pulled out her blonde hair dye, opened it, and threw it at the corner of the room. Next, she grabbed her black hair dye and slammed it onto the bathroom counter. She turned the faucet on and dipped her head into the sink to wet her hair in random motions. She enjoyed the shock of the freezing cold water on her scalp and down her neck. When she felt it was wet enough, she grabbed her black hair dye and poured it over her hair. She finger combed the mess all over her hair, trying to eradicate her blondness.

_Everywhere Harley… make sure the chaos is _everywhere.

Harley flipped her hair back and poured more hair dye, making sure to cover the top of her head. She squeezed and pulled and squished her hair, sure that the darkness was everywhere. Once she felt her scalp start to burn, she stopped. Her whole body tensed at the pain, but her mind_ relished _it… just like she knew **he **would…

Eventually though, the pain got to be too much so she turned the faucet back on and watched her darkness swirl around the sink… darkening the clear water… Harley squeezed the excess water out of her hair, watching even more blackness swirl down the sink.

When she flipped her hair back this time, Harley's hair was a wet, black, stringy mess. She slowly pushed the mirror back into place to see her broken features.

Once she saw herself, Harley's mind went agape. She was no longer Mistah J's bouncing, bubbly blond. She was his portal…

Harley began to giggle hysterically at the thought… but at the same time tears came flowing down her cheeks. She couldn't stop the tears… and she couldn't stop the giggles. She stopped fighting them, and just grabbed her eyeliner out of the cabinet.

Unfortunately her tears and laughter were making applying eyeliner difficult, but she just kept on going over it… and over it… and over it.

She took a good look at herself in the mirror. Her face was cracked and dirty with black hair dye and eyeliner. Her white base was dripping down her face with her eyeliner. Her hair covered her face like weeds from hell.

She pushed herself away from the mirror, giggling hysterically, and crawled backwards into the same corner she threw the blond hair dye. She felt like her head was splitting in two, so she tried to push it back together with her hands.

Who was she again?

She was the Joker's Harley Quinn. But the Joker wasn't here… and his Harley Quinn was blond.

The woman cowering in the corner had raven black hair.

She wasn't the Joker's Harley Quinn.

She was no one.

She was just another crazy woman cowering in her bathroom while her world continued to collapse behind her.

The Joker was gone, Harley Quinn was gone, her blond hair was gone, her cuteness was gone, her whiteness was gone, her playfulness was gone, her happiness was gone…

What was Harley Quinn?

The Joker was dead.

So there was no Harley Quinn.

…but she could still smile. Just for him. She would get everything done.

The Joker was in the black. The only thing she could do was follow him in.

PIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxP IxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxH xPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPI xHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHx PIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIx HxPIxHxPI

Poison Ivy paused outside the door.

Harley had really lost a nut last night. After seeing all of those men who looked like her precious _Joker_, something had snapped. She was able to put up a mask for a short amount of time, but then she had run to the bathroom to empty out her stomach. Ivy had tried to send a plant under the door, but they had all refused to go.

Even Ivy knew better than to go into that room… her plants were probably reacting to that.

But now it was the morning after, and Ivy had an unborn child to see to. She didn't want to check on it. She would rather kill it. Make sure it was never allowed into this world. Never allowed to ruin her friend…

But it's what Harley wanted, and Ivy had no intention to cross Harley. Not when she was in this mental state. Not when she had an army under her beck and call.

So Ivy stepped inside. "Harley?" she called in.

No answer.

Ivy's heart dropped, and she threw open the door.

Harley was sitting in the corner of the room, her back to the door. Now that Ivy was inside, she could hear Harley humming "Hush Little Baby" while doing something with her hands. But… her hair was black now not blond. Instead of her cute pigtails, they were messy and uneven.

"Harley?" Ivy called softly.

This time she caught Harley's attention.

Harley turned towards her with smiling black lips and dripping make up that had dried over night. In her hands was a wooden puppet colored with the Joker's color scheme.

Harley held the doll up proudly. "Look Ivy. He's gonna look just like his daddy…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **So yeah... she went completely nuts. The reason why she went nuts this time is more of an identity issue rather than a "What am I going to do next?" thing like in the last chapters. She needed something solid, something familiar. Being a mother isn't familiar. Being completely and utterly insane is. That's what she knew best, and that's what she loved. So her mind was "grabbing at straws".

And the reason she stops hearing the Joker's voice (for now) is because she basically got a handle on what she needed to do to get a hold of herself. But since it's such a dramatic change from her original identity, she freaked out.

Once again, sorry for the late update. I hope you guys will forgive me and continue reading.

Oh, and for those of you who are waiting for the end of "Letting the Dog Off the Leash" I'm working on it, but it's in Bruce Wayne's POV and I seem to be switching from TAS version to the Dark Knight version of Bruce Wayne so I'm TRYING to fix that. But it should be up before the end of this month. ^_^


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** An update so soon? AMAZING! See kids? This is what happens when I finally make a playlist that matches the mood I want in my story.

So, in this chapter I wanted to show the full extent of Harley's power over her men, and the extent of her madness. I know I know I'm barely giving Ivy and Dax any time, but I know you guys love reading Harley's POV since it's... interesting to say the least XD

I hope you all enjoy this chapter featuring the Riddler. :3

* * *

><p><span>Down with the Sickness<span>

Ivy eyed Harley carefully. It'd been two weeks since her mental break down. Fortunately Harley had been able to pull it together after a few days. Ivy had taken care of everything. The clowns were no longer clowns. They were all harlequins, reflecting Harley's image rather than the Joker's. But all the same, Harley had ordered that the Joker's portrait be placed everywhere. Harley thought it would help her cope, but Ivy just saw them as thorns tearing away at Harley's red heart. Sometimes she would have a mini break down and just start kissing the portraits, clawing at them like she could pull the Joker out of them. It would take Ivy hours to pull her away from the pictures and help Harley pull herself back together. The only way she kept Harley relatively calm is with the reminder of a child in her womb… that's all the devil seemed to be good for.

On the bright side, the men were no longer half-mindless zombies. The pheromone had taken its hold in their systems, so Ivy was able to lessen the amount in the air. A few men were more resistant than others and attempted to rebel… but like a traitor in a beehive they were swiftly executed by the workers or brought to the queen.

At the moment, Harley was just sitting at the edge of her room, letting her legs hang out over the edge. She looked entirely different from before though. Eyeliner and mascara ran half way down her face, outlining every tear. Wearing her pain like a mask over her beauty. She refused to let Ivy dye her hair back as well. Something about connecting to the Joker through his madness.

Every time Ivy saw her, it was a new knife in her side.

Feeling her distress, one of her vines extended and wrapped itself around her waist, Ivy smiled and brought the end of the vine to her lips and kissed it sweetly.

"Somethin' eatin your plants Red?" Harley asked.

Ivy shrugged, not willing to tell Harley that it was her own discomfort that called Ivy's plants to her. "Just thousands of vines and only one of me… and they all love their mother. They all just want more attention."

Harley simply nodded. "Hey Red? When do you think we're gonna be able to make our move?"

The question took Ivy by surprise. "It's only been a couple of weeks."

Harley hopped up and began pacing, her form a little more hunched over than usual. "In a couple of weeks I gained complete control of my Puddin's man power, raided what was left of a Tyger guard's weapon stock, went to hell and back five times, redecorated a hideout, and created a whole new wardrobe for my men. I betcha that Birdface and Two-Face are already trying to come up with a plan to come get us…"

Ivy was about to make her relax, when she felt something. Someone was approaching the Steel Mill… "We have company."

Harley turned sharply, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Who?"

"The dick in green."

HxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxP IxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxH xPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPI xHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHx PIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIxHxPIx HxPIxH

Harley eyed the Riddler suspiciously as he swaggered into the room, carelessly swinging his cane around. Harley had the sudden urge to grab the cane and beat him down with it.

He had a couple of men behind him. One dressed in Penguin's attire, the other in Two-Face's. It must have just been to make a point about Riddler having men on both sides. Just two wouldn't be enough to protect the Riddler from Harley…

But to show her own power she had Ivy and Dax at her side.

The Riddler looked around the room, then looked at Harley. "I love what you've done with the place Harleen. It's much more fashionable than before." Harley, arms crossed, simply glared at him. He came to a halt in the middle of the room, finally letting his cane settle on the ground. "I'm happy to see you've adjusted to being the leader of this band of apes. It suits you."

The Riddler's men squirmed uneasily under the glare of the Joker's men, but tried to stand their ground just in case one of them tried to take a swing at them against Harley's command. But Harley knew better. Their minds were mostly free now. They could now talk, socialize, opinionate, analyze, and think. But they could _not_ disobey her in her presence. And they would feel a strong urge not to when they outside of her line of sight.

So these men had nothing to fear unless Harley decided to tell the men to eat them alive on the spot… so she supposed they had a lot of reasons to be afraid actually. The thought made her smirk.

"I nevah thought myself a leaduh… but when Batman murdered Mistah J, I didn't have much of a choice now did I? So Riddluh, what brings you to my beautiful mansion?" Harley asked almost playfully.

"I stopped hearing from my men living in your part of town my dear. I was afraid something had happened to you. So I came with a couple of men to see what was going on. I had expected to find nothing but bodies. But then I saw Ivy's beautiful garden sprouting leaves into your territory. So I _had_ to come see for myself what was going on inside your lovely mansion."

Harley lay down on the floor belly down, propping her head on her hands. "So Mister Genius, whadjuh think?"

The Riddler clapped his hands. "Oh! Lovely my dear. I never had any doubt in your stylistic abilities. The plants are a bit much-" Harley didn't miss how Ivy's mouth turned down a fraction more "but your mementos to your late love and your beautiful red and black color scheme add a whole new… finesse to the old place. Don't you agree men?" The men nodded and grumbled agreements, their eyes never leaving Harley's men. "Truly, lovely."

Harley scoffed. "Thanks Riddles. Now tell me… whadduyuh want?" she asked impatiently, suddenly dropping her friendly façade, earning uneasy glances from Ivy and the Riddler.

"Well Harley, I understand you're under a bit of pressure from ole Harv and Oswald. Having _just_ fully regained control of th- your men, I would think you'd maybe want… an edge over the other two. I could give you that edge my dear."

"Oh yeah? With what? Your little spies?"

"_Little spies_? I'm wounded by your underestimation of me sweet Harley. I don't hold mere moles within Arkham City. I have exact information straight from the horse's mouth. I receive detailed plans, copied right after Penguin creates the plans in his head. I have recordings of Dent spit balling ideas with himself. Sweet heart, I have _rats_ that are everywhere all the time and you know what? You _can't _keep them out of your mouth and ears."

"I don't have 'em here," Harley argued simply. And she knew that was what was grating his nervous.

He _hated_ the fact that he could **not**, no matter how hard he tried, get a rat into Harley Quinn's mansion. She chuckled at the anger that passed over the Riddler's face. She knew she had him. His narcissism would never allow for someone to have outsmarted him. He would win, even if he lost. No matter the cost.

The Riddler's face grew darker. "No… I do not. I don't know what kind of pheromone you've given your men, but not even the smell of money or freedom can pull them out of your lovely hypnosis." The Riddler's "charming" smile returned. It sickened Harley. "But all the same Ms. Quinn, I have a proposition."

"Why would we take a proposition from _you_?" Dax retorted.

Harley shot Dax a cold look. He froze immediately. "My _outspoken_ associate has a point Riddles. What could be so tempting that I'd go against my… Puddin's wishes and team up with _you_? Mistah J tried to kill yuh on a regular basis at Arkham."

"But you would stick up for me Ms. Quinn. And for that I thank you," he bowed politely, taking off his hat for the moment, "and make you this offer. I'll give you time and information. I can have my men buy you up to three weeks time, and in these upcoming three weeks, I will give you every _scrap_ of information my men collect about their plans. I will withhold nothing."

"And you? What do you get in all of this?" Ivy asked. Harley's eyes remained focus on the Riddler's expression. His smile widened ever so slightly and became a bit more menacing. Harley didn't like it.

"I get some of your muscle. I get to stay here. I know you Harley. With my help, you'll have this city eating out of the palm of your hands in no time. But when you do, I want a piece of the pie. I want to be by your side, and not under your foot. Sound reasonable."

Harley grinned at the idea… the whole city beneath her feet… in no time. With no trouble at all. Everyone smiling and screaming while the world burned around them… their screams lulling her baby to sleep… "Beautiful ain't it Puddin?" Harley whispered.

_Then make it a reality my dear…_

Harley's grin grew. "You know what Riddles?" Harley hopped down from her perch, landing hard on the floor. The Riddles men tensed up, but the Riddler stayed calm. Except for the slight upward tilt of his head. "I think you're right." Harley began to circle them. "I bet I could take care of this city in a single night. Bring it down to its knees, cut off its head, and make it my _bitch_." Harley stopped in front of the Riddler. "But you have one thing wrong Riddles…" She leaned in to his face, enjoying the sweat appearing on his brow and he terror in his eyes. "I don't. Need. You." She straightened up and pristinely placed her hands behind her back, and without looking away from the Riddler… "Hey boys, how about some early dinner? Riddle's treat. Mole-rat a la mode."

Immediately, Harley's men swarmed around the Riddler's men before they could make it five yards. While his men ran, while her men swarmed them, while his men fought, while her men attacked, while his men screamed, while her men tore, while his men died, while her men _ate_… Harley kept the same, widening, evil grin.

When her men finally went back to their rows, the Riddler was shivering, but kept the same composed expression. "Was that truly necessary Ms. Quinn?" Harley didn't answer. She just smirked at his composed expression. "Well then, I guess there's nothing for me to do here." The Riddler turned to leave, walking his can normally this time. But then he stopped. "A fair warning Ms. Quinn, for old time's sake. If you plan on attacking at all, you'll want to attack soon."

Harley could barely keep her giggling under control, so Ivy answered for her. "We'll keep that in mind Edward."

The Riddler tipped his hat to Ivy, and walked out.

But even when Harley was sure he had made it outside, she knew he could still hear her laughter.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yay cannibalism... so yeah that's how much power Harley has right now. Amazing right? So yeah I hope you guys kinda liked my Riddler. He may or may not make another appearance.  
>In the next chapter though, we're going to be exploring Harley's relationship with Poison Ivy and Dax. Shouldn't be too hard to write<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **YAY an update XD Ok, so I know this is a bit short, but I like it. Harley once again loses it because there's so much pressure on her caused by the Riddler's warnings about Two-Face and Penguin. She's never faced anything like this before, so I'd imagine this much pressure would break her again, but once again her mind uses the Joker and her baby as a krutch.

song used: "Into Nothing" by Breaking Benjamin.

* * *

><p><span>Into Nothing<span>

Harley Quinn paced back and forth in her room, biting her nail. A few vines were poking under the door, but they didn't dare enter. They felt her unease and mental instability through Ivy, who was undoubtedly standing outside the door, waiting. But that's not what Harley's mind was focusing on.

Harley's mind was going over the Riddler's warning.

That was what was scaring her now. She wasn't ready for a battle. She wasn't ready for a war. She wasn't ready for the arming forming outside her gates. She could hear them…

She could hear them loading their guns, laughing at her powerlessness. She could hear Two-Face and Penguin shouting, calling for blood. She could hear the echoes of bats and chains, crowbars and mallets, pipes and poles… all of them breaking down her doors… beating her men… beating _her_.

And the crying… there was crying… _the baby was __**crying**_!

She needed to get away. She needed to escape. To get away from the chaos around her.

Harley looked around frantically, but the room gave her no exit. It only constricted around her.

But the baby wouldn't stop _CRYING_! It knew there was danger. But there's supposed to **be** danger. She was supposed to keep it safe. Keep it same. She needed to kiip it safe!

Hide. Hide. Hide. Hide the baby. Hid herself.

Harley crawled behind a desk and pulled herself into a ball. But she heard them. They were stomping up the stairs, destroying everything. Killing everyone.

But the baby kept _crying_!

It kept crying…

If it didn't quiet down they'd be caught for sure.

"Shh… shh… shh…," Harley cooed nervously. "Hush… hush…" But he kept crying… crying louder and louder. She closed her eyes tight and wished for it to be silent. Silent.

_S_he curled up tighter, and_ the silence came._

_Harley's head popped up at the sound. The baby had stopped. The battle had stopped._

_It was all just silent._

_She got out from under the desk and warily stood up. Disbelief numbed her mind as she searched for the soft pitter-patter of the rats. But then her attention was caught by a soft melody coming from downstairs._

_Her eyes went wide as her mind immediately placed the melody._

_She ran out the door, past her fallen friend. She flew down the stairs and through the halls, pausing only to identify the direction of the melody._

_She never looked around and the horror scene around her. She never glanced at the men whose eyes have been gouged out. She never stopped for the men who had puncture wounds in their necks, or bloody smiles across their faces. She didn't have time for them. None of them were worth her time._

_Eventually, she reached the Steel Mills's frontdoor. She paused for a moment, letting the melody flood her ears as her heart raced, and then gently pressed her fingers against the door. She was sure the melody's source was outside… or she hoped it was. The threat that there would be nothing there in the end made her pull her hand away. She thought of all the times it turned out to be a lie built to break her. Just another illusion… just another hallucination… just another dream…_

_But what if she found something there… what if she found something there, even if it was just for a moment? That would make it all worth it…_

_Harley forced the door open and stopped. At the center of a massacre, with Two-Face and Penguin at his feet –their faces covered in lacerations –was the Joker with the baby in his arms, humming "Hush Little Baby". He was covered in blood. The blood was spattered across the right side of his face, soaking into his hair. His coat was hanging on the gate, so his fast and shirt were stained in blood. It was scene Harley was accustomed to._

_But the baby in his arms… in a snow white sheet with pleased cries and soft grunts coming from the bundle… to her it created a whole new picture. A whole new Joker._

_The Joker didn't look at Harley. All his focus was on the baby while he continued to hum the soft melody._

_Harley approached him slowly, carefully… unsure of his intentions or his reaction to seeing her. She analyzed his body language, but if he was aware of her presence he didn't show it. His focus remained on the baby, staring at the bundle. It wasn't until she was within arm's reach when he finally raced to her presence._

_He slowly raised his head t olook at her, a demonic grin spreading across his lips while his hair was plastered to his face with blood._

_Then, he began to rock the baby more dramatically, making it giggle._

_Hush little baby don't you cry_

_Daddy's gonna sing you a lullaby_

_And if that lullaby don't work_

_Daddy's gonna make the whole world hurt_

_And if the whole damn world won't scream,_

_Daddy's gonna make things worse than they seem_

_But if anyone one dares interfere_

_Mommy's gonn make Daddy's message clear_

_Because I promise you my dear_

_We're going to strike everyone with __**fear**__…_

_The Joker chuckled darkly and offered the baby to Harley, and Harley took it with eager arms. No sound game from the white bundle other than soft snoring._

_Of course the Joker's beautiful lullaby would lull it to sleep._

_Harley gently bounced the baby in her arms. She wanted to pull the blanket back. She wanted to see her sleeping baby. She reached to uncover the baby, but the Joker grabbed her wrist, his expression suddenly furious._

_Harley froze, fearful of his temper. But the Joker's rage left as suddenly as it had appeared. He pet the top of her shivering hand, and Harley relaxed. Obviously she wasn't supposed to look. Not yet._

_Harley smiled at the Joker and nodded. The Joker smiled pleasantly and pulled her head to his shoulder. Harley's heart skipped a beat. He was back. Her Joker was back and he was right th –no. this was a dream. The Joker's baby in her arms while Harley was in the Joker's arms? Too good to be true… too good to be true._

_She felt his smile widen against her scalp as she pressed into his shoulder, the baby warm against her breast. Part of her willed it to be true, trying to convince her that this was what was true. This scene was the reality. But no… no. too true… too true… can't be true… but it's too close… too close._

"_Now Harlye," the Joker breated near her ear. "Do you really think I'd _ ever _really leave?" Harley stayed sildent, chocking on the bile filling her throate and mouth. "_Don't_ disappoint me Harley."_

_There was movement in Harley's arms. The Joker released her so she could look down, and the baby had pushed the blanket away from its bright red mouth. "Get to work Mommy."_

Harley shot up from the floor and hit her head on the desk above her. She held her head in pain, then remembered why she was under the desk. She listened closely, listening from men walking up her steps or waiting outside her door. They had been attacking hadn't they? Two-Face and Penguin… they were outside her door. They had been marching up her stairs slaughtering her men.

No.

The Joker had killed them. While she was cowering under the desk, he had killed them. He had killed **ALL** of them. Every. Single. One. He had both Penguin and Two-Face at his feet. Hell. He had even _played_ with them. And she had done _NOTHING_. She was _powerless_. She was _weak_. When push had come to shove, she had been knocked to the floor with out a fight. She couldn't even get the baby to stop crying.

Harley stood up and looked out the window.

There was nothing but the overcast and the men on guard. It was a quiet night. The battle hadn't even started and she had cowered. The thought sent a wave of shame through her body.

She paced around the room for a bit, fuming her self-hatred, before settling on top of the desk. She gently tapped her fingers eagerly, thinking.

_Get to work Mommy_ her baby had said. The dream wouldn't come true. She wouldn't let it.

In the darkness, Harley Quinn wrapped her arms around her stomach and closed her eyes. "Hush little baby don't say a word. Mama's gonna kill for you the whole damn world."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Well, I hope you guys liked this chapter, especially my little nursery rhyme gone wrong. So, I know you guys want to see more of Poison Ivy, and I WILL be giving her a main part in the next chapter since Harley will start preparing for war. Should be interesting ^_^


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** So, a short update. This one is in Ivy's POV and is RIGHT before she goes in to talk to Dr. Fries (Mister/Doctor Freeze, but since Ivy is Ivy she just calls him by his actual last name). It was kind of a rushed update since I have a lot going on once again and just didn't have the time to make a really long update, especially since writing Ivy AND Dr. Freeze is going to be tough for me.

But the main focus of this chapter is to show the tension between Ivy and Harley. As you know, Ivy is usually the one calling the shots, but this time Harley wants dominance, so this chapter just shows why Ivy is rolling over and how much difficulty it causes her.

The next chapter is going to be Harley and Dax's relationship which should be interesting. After that we'll pick back up with this situation.

I hope you enjoy. ^_^

* * *

><p><span>Losing you<span>

Poison Ivy walked down some street in Arkham City. Wherever she stepped, grass and flowers would bloom through the concrete. She walked slowly to give the plants as along of a life as she could, before she lifted her foot and they slowly froze… then died. It broke her heart to give them home then steal it away. They weren't like males who were mere play things; they were her children, her babies.

She should even be out here, giving plants a false life and abandoning her babies back at the Steel Mill. But she had a job to do.

"_We're attacking. In a week," Harley had said looking out her window, supporting herself on her arms with the desk, her legs crossed. Ivy had wanted to say no. Say no, and tie her up with her vines until the baby was born, or at least until she was safe._

"_Is that really the best idea? Going into a battle when you're pregnant? What if you get _hurt_? What if the _baby_ gets hurt?" Ivy had argued coldly… but she couldn't completely hide the pleading in her voice._

"_You heard Riddler," Harley had countered, turning around. "They're _preparing_. Penguin and Two-Face will be at our door any day now… any day now…"_ Ivy couldn't forget the shadow that had passed over her friend's face. She had seen her anger and concern on another face once… but she refused to think of whose.

"_We can still leave you know. Leave and hide away. We don't have to fight. We _shouldn't _fight. Not in your condition."_

Ivy had hoped she'd accept that. She'd hoped that Harley would snap out of it and they'd just get out. When they were out, Harley would let her clean off her face and wash the black dye out of her hair. She'd take off her leather costume and don her leotard and cowl once again.

Then she'd be her Harley Quinn again. Her sweet, bubbly Harley Quinn.

But no, that's not how things went. _"We can't run Red… we can't…"_

"_Harley -"_

"_Can't you understand!" Harley yelled, slamming her fists onto the windowsill, almost making Ivy jump. "We __**can't run**__! We're taking over this hellhole and then we're keeping it! There will be no _running_. __**Ever! **__We stand here and fight!"_

Ivy glowered at nothing while she remembered how angry she became. She was **NO ONE'S** subordinate. Not even Harley's. Right then, she had almost attacked her. She had wanted to remind her who was the leader. She wanted to remind her that _Ivy_ had protected her! Sheltered her! Healed her! Saved her!

But then… her eyes changed. She was scared. She was scared of her future. She feared the people who were coming for her head…. And fear did a funny thing to mammals. "They'll come after me Red… and they'll come after him too…" Harley had touched her bell, reminding Ivy of why she was so scared, what was causing her desperation.

Ivy had hesitated. She didn't want to give in… but what choice did she have? She couldn't leave Harley alone. She couldn't abandon her friend.

"_You haven't even started prenatal care and we have _nothing _to take care of a baby with."_

_Harley's fear had evaportated instantly wand was replaced by a cunning smile… a familiar twinkle in her eyes that Ivy once again refused to recognize. "That, my dear friend… is where a certain scientist comes in."_

And that's why Ivy was standing outside the old GCPD building. It was _freezing_ outside to the point where the plants around Ivy struggled to grow.

Instinctively, Ivy wanted to leave; she wanted to walk back to her little hotel building and stay there. She could still feel the flowers calling for their mother. Constantly calling…

_Mommy! Mommy!_

Ivy closed her eyes and took a deep slow breath. It froze her lungs for a moment, but that was the benefit of being a human-plant hybrid. She couldn't be frozen as easily as her plant children, but if she were frozen, she would remain alive for a certain period of time.

That was the only edge she had on Fries. And she planned to use it.


End file.
